Thursday, April 14, 2016

Archive #34: Osage Shareholder Matters--April-June 2016

This thread is now closed. Go to: http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/osage-shareholder-matters-june-2016.html

199 comments:

  1. MC Meeting for the 15th of April and the Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/3rd-minerals-council-meeting

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    1. This is a MUST LISTEN MEETING when posted for on demand at http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/
      MC members take the BIA Superintendant right to the woodshed in a big way on NEPA requirements that are not even required and the implications of continuing with holding up permits on leases as a result of a lawsuit (Donalson) that has been dismissed in court.

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    2. Thank you Osageblogger. Saw this coming but who didn't.

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    3. The more I ponder about this scenario or tug a war with the BIA is going to be another win for the Osage..as I have said in the past..there is no other outcome. We are sovereign and not just this it has been proven in a court of law, though we are federal land it is Federal Indian land does not give the right for the EPA to come in here when we have a good model that has worked for us, the 1979 EIS. And it is a proven fact, the loss of income because of, well we all know why. And right now as we speak the price of oil is going up and predicted to continue to rise..but we know how this all will go depending on other factors, of course. Get those permits going, Indian lives matter.

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    4. The Superintendent openly admits that the BIA lacks the staff to fulfill the responsibility of the Trust in that meeting.
      You have time dependent functions with no actual time limits applied to those functions.
      The Minerals Council needs to take it upon themselves to map all the processes involved from the point of the lease sale to when the bit hits the ground, and put a reasonable timeline to each function.
      Then determine where the BIA, in its inadequacy, is costing the Tribe money and bill the BIA accordingly.
      The only thing the Federal Government will respond to is financial liability. So hold them accountable for where their incompetence is costing the Osage money.

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    5. Indian lives matter?
      If Indian Lives Mattered then the Cherokee Tobacco Case would have been thrown out of court and Oklahoma wouldn't be a "State" but Indian Territories as originally intended.
      It isn't such a cut and dried case as history would like to portray it.
      Oklahoma isn't so cut and dried.

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    6. Yep,you are right blogger @ 8:40 pm. And to the blogger @ 7:19 pm. I happen to agree and thats what I have been saying all along. Though we no this agency is understaffed is not a excuse. Time is money. These excuses will and cannot be acceptable, not in this day and age..or the lack of by the M.C to recognize this behooves me and are equally responsible for not opening a fuul petroleum office where we can build our reputation and build relationships with our partners. Draft a criteria. Man a consensus of common sense thinking needed so desperately, where is it? My expertise is in business management from PR to Accting to Hospitality to legal..and I have never seen such disfunction. Nuff said..

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    7. Don't you think we need to have a healthy oil business before you start throwing money at another business venture that will fail due to market conditions? If oil were still at $100 or even $75 a barrel of oil you would have a point but I have a tendency to discount your idea because the oilfield in OC is drying up in part due to what the Osage Agency has done by not approving those leases and handing out permits in a timely fashion. It's my personal belief that the BIA used that Donalson lawsuit for its own purposes to ramrod through those new regs on NEPA requirements in order to implement those BLM rules for the convenience, uniformity and ease of conformity for the BIA throughout all of Indian County and to bring OC under that umbrella and compliance; not for the fiduciary based betterment of the business interests of the headright owners or the Osage Nation.

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    8. We are all familiar with the concept of the adult parental model. The Bureau is notoriously treacherous at the art of the old sneak up and whop 'em. When we see stuff like how they used the Donalson lawsuit to suit their own purposes and for their own betterment to put in the NEPA related regs, and not ours, it stands to reason, with such an example, because these Bureau people are the ones who have the control and who matter most in Osage lives in county, it's no wonder we see similar tactics used on an everyday basis by those who run the Osage Nation government. It's a tragedy that continues to self-perpetuate on a daily basis. Every single one of these people in the Bureau and those running the Osage Nation government really need to think about what they are doing and how they are behaving to stop this cycle before everything is lost including the gaming side of things as well.

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    9. I get your point 7:21 am. Their is always an excuse not to as opposed to putting the left foot in front of the right..this is not a new business and oil prices will be moving in the direction of up again History suggests it will and predicted..I want to be in the know..no more should the Shareholders not know how their money is being used or abused, however trending is paramount and we need to picking up where the ball has been dropped by the BIA and most at a administration level the costs can be covered by the Government. Good management is what I am talking about...we don't have that..We have a council and a lawyer..much more is needed. As I have said before we cannot do nothing anymore, now I am not saying from time to time problems will not arise but as long as we have the criteria to handle these problem front and center we can avoid most legal problems that are caused by mostly delay. We can process the permits and the BIA can grade them and with just a push of a button on a computer. The technology is there. No more rubber stamping by hand. The technology is there to catch any and most indiscriminate mistakes. There are programs to identify. That means in the long run our cost going to a lawyer will be halved as well..we can spear head most of these problems. We have no choice we are in the 21st century, not in the 1970's we must grow. We must be vigilant and diligent about going forward and building relationships with our Producers and landowners. The landowners for the most part are, our eyes and ears..so much can come from in such a positive manner to building a better relationship with the BIA..This Estate is our Baby not just the Councils..we are in this to get and building a better model goes along way..yeah, the stall tactics by the BIA and they are looking for another bruising in the Courts..you cannot make this up. First it was the New EIS and then next or about the same time the Donalson where and probably did cause some delays for why the Permits did not get processed in a timely matter as we all know it cost the Estate enormous amounts of money. I do not care its a excuse. How would the employees at the Agency like if all the hard work they are doing didn't get paid and HR came back and said to busy, not enough help and I don't know when they are going to get paid? They would be mad as all heck right, apple to oranges compared to the money that was lost. We are 4 years after the HPP case and still at a stall..and look where we are at? We need to move fast.

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    10. 9:02 am Please consider paragraph breaks and open spaces between topics.

      A wall of text is hard for comprehension and I think your post deserves greater scrutiny/digestion.
      I'd say nothing personal but it is obviously personal since it is related to our Tribes survival. So, it's personal but not hostile.

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    11. I agree that 9:02am deserves scrutiny and discussion but there needs to be a slight correction of the facts as was presented:
      1 – The Donelson Lawsuit came first.
      2 – July 15, 2014 BIA Superintendent Letter to some, not all, Osage Co. producers, drastically changing the permitting process advised that they had until August 15 to submit all permits under the old process. After Aug 15 all permits would be subject to a new process. This was a poorly thought-out knee jerk reaction to the Donelson Lawsuit.
      3 – Before August 15, Superintendent reneged on July 15 letter and began work on a new (made-up with little thought or expertise) Programmatic Environmental Assessment. It ended up being 69 or 70 pages long. Keep in mind the 1979 EA was still valid and still is today.
      4 – Average Price of Oklahoma Sweet Crude Oil in July 2014 was $98.89/bbl. From July 1 thru July 15 when Superintendent letter written it was over $100/bbl.
      5 – Although drilling had most likely come to a halt by August 15, 2014, it was officially announced at the Osage Oil & Gas Summit in Sept. 2014. Not a single Osage Council Person was aware of this at that time.
      6- October 2014, Office of Inspector General, DOI publishes report entitled “BIA Needs Sweeping Changes To Manage The Osage Nation’s Energy Resources”!
      7 – By February of 2015 BIA had carved out Osage Co. from a multi-state Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to expedite the process for Osage Co. alone throwing us into another tailspin. While drilling and workovers continued in the multi-state EIS all Oil & Gas Operations in Osage Co. were ZERO. Production was on a steep decline.
      8 – August 2015 – New CFRs thrown out in Federal Court due to massive mishandling of Negotiated Rulemaking.
      9 – Since then Donelson has been denied and thrown out, payment declined by 60+%, Producers and other business’ out of business, Osage economy down the tubes, etc
      10 – Solution? COMPACT! Now let’s start discussing that topic please.

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    12. The last thing on this planet that we should do is to hand this mineral estate business over to the Osage Nation to compact in any way imaginable. They are the Indian Country standard of the most total screw ups around on this side of the earth. As bad as the Bureau is and has been in the past, the Osage Nation is a thousand thousand million times worse! This is ten years or 3,650 plus days firmly established without question with a crowning business glory of a $20 million loss of the Osage people's money in its entirety. You are either a complete idiot or you are looking to get in line for a big check on the Osage Nation payroll. This idea is the definition of the term moral hazard where handing a business over to an organization of unquestioned incompetence with people who know nothing other than how to be taken advantage of or how to take advantage of a situation. A big negative on this this plan. It's out of the question. Don't even try and fool yourself into thinking about it.

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    13. I could mot agree more with 11:42 am.

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    14. I too agree with 11:42 wholeheartedly. There is nothing there to discuss on this topic. The BIA, the SOI of the DOI and the U.S. Congress are still in a fiduciary relationship with this Tribal government and to hand things over to it would be tantamount to the worst possible gross violation of fiduciary duty that the Feds could ever engage in against the Headright owners who are the trust beneficiaries.

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    15. Refusing to see options to solve a grave problem is definitely not the answer. The 3 of you have made yourselves perfectly clear: "Don't do anything, accept the status quo and let outsiders squander the ME". Sorry, this Headright Owner will not sit by and continue to accept pennies on the dollar for our resources. My original allottee Grandmother told me that Frank Phillips used to say "Osages were down on the ground picking up pennies while hundred dollar bills flew over their heads". You three are the perfect example of what he was talking about. Flash forward 100 years, things haven't changed much in the Osage. This is not Rocket Science. If the OMC hires the right people to help them adminisiter & develop our ME we could triple our checks. Since Compacting is not to your liking, how about a complete restructure of the OMC. Eliminate 3-4 of the Council positions, require predetermined qualifications and skills to qualify to run and replace, at the very least, a position for a qualified experienced petroleum engineer, geologist and/or geophysicist and gps mapping specialist.

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    16. Refusing to see reality to solve a grave problem will lead to even more grave problems, money siphoned off left and right in bureaucratic expenses, salaries, and benefits, with no accountability or the ability to rectify the situation in the Osage Courts and in the end; no money in the trust account to be disbursed to the headright owners. Setting yourselves up to be in a position to be treated just like the unallotted Osages who do not receive a quarterly check who are made to feel like undeserving pikers if they even suggest an equitable per-cap distribution is definitely not the answer either. I'd sooner see the administration of the OME handed over to an experienced oil company with a proven record of success with their minerals management division that can be put in place to subcontract rather than to stupidly hand this ME over to the Osage Nation. Sorry but Tim Tallchief, Mark Simms and Nancy Shirley have all had their day in the sun and the losses continue to rack up daily.

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    17. Nobody and I mean nobody is going to hand accurate royalties directly over to the Osage Nation. The Nation could never hope to put in place a system where they could get those royalties from the oil and gas producers in Tribal Court and they have no legal apparatus to get in there and shut down oil and gas leases with equipment on site or even to have it removed in the event of non-payment. The only thing that will ensue is utter and complete pandemonium. Of course the oil and gas producers approve of this Osage Nation run plan. It's a complete no-brainer as to why.

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    18. Okay, you have made your point here and a thousand times in the past. I ask again: "HOW ABOUT a complete restructure of the OMC? Start with eliminating 3-4 council positions (less time wasting squabbling) and in elections, require predetermined qualifications & skills to qualify to run. Replace the eliminated positions with qualified, experienced petroleum engineer, geologist and/or geophysicist and GPS mapping specialist. I also like 12:39 AM (geez, trouble sleeping?) idea of contracting with an oil & gas company who knows how to set up operations for thousands of wells. This is a fact: The BIA doesn't, never has and never will know how to run like a profitable business. They are a government entity with a set of ridiculous rules that if they stay within they think they are doing their job. Problem is "any" outsourcing of responsibilities will result in inferior work product because of no vested interest. In the BIAs case it is "Negligence bordering on deliberate indifference".

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    19. The Osage Nation Constitution will not permit anyone other than a headright owner to run for office as a member of the MC. End of story, qualified or not. They do have predetermined qualifications, including written signature recommendations from other Osage Headright owners. This is a tough one to get past because you need so many signatures from other Osages to even get in line to file to run for office.

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    20. Disappointed Chief ManKiller didn't make it on the $20, but anyone would have beat Jackson, for what he did to the Indians , Trail of Tears.
      Will do a "Three Sisters" this weekend, planting a grain of corn, a climbing bean next to it and a squash seed to do the weed and keep the moisture in, we'll see how that turns out. H

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    21. "Negligence bordering on deliberate indifference" is the figurative but in practical application, the actual real world business motto of the Osage Nation. They are now going to be giving $500 large a year to that Tallgrass stupidity and another $2 million startup capital to the Bluestem Buffalo Ranch to run it and the money right into the ground. The ranch is supposed to be a subsidiary of Tallgrass and if it gets into trouble -- and it will because it's the identical business model as Osage, LLC. -- what will happen to the legal title of the ranch land? This is the future of our minerals estate and our headright checks will go to nothing if we let these negligent loathsome incompetents at the Osage Nation run it in any capacity. BIA is bad, no question. The Osage Nation is completely out of the question.

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    22. Bluestem will be a money pit. The Bluestem Ranch will sill make some where around $20.00 a head and the cost associated to maintain is some where around 1.70 a month. What is not accounted is the overhead to maintain a Ranch can get expensive. Such as, time, labor,fuel and what about Vet bills. Does not matter where the material comes from for fencing, its all the same, someone is getting paid. Making sure there is adequate water and so forth. And we haven't discussed what legal fees are associated. This is on the backs of the constituency, not Government, after all doesn't our Government tell the truth anymore? Ranches almost never make any money. They keep on telling us its our money. Is our Constitution so vulnerable that if we don't take a stand for something,then we fall for anything (Peter Marshall) quote. Does Congress do the diligence required of them? Then, non of us are really surprised what is going on with the Osage LLC. Just waiting for another epic fail, that or anotner LLC is formed. Watch wait and see, then we will have another board. Does it ever end? What comes to mind, is there any restrictions or a law Governing or putting a time limit as to what, why and how something is considered before legislation is passed such as a feasibility study can be produced and examined. Was this offered to Congrees? This just seems it went all to fast and to think we have social venues that are being overlooked yet we can dredge up money for the Bluestem Ranch.

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    23. They are probably killing the gaming operation to buy and maintan it. Greed and ego there and not much else.

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  2. So glad to hear our MC get some backbone. When are we going to hold the BIA accountable?

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    1. "MC"? You mean Talee. I was very glad that he spoke up and pointed out the recklessness of BIA Superintendents actions over the last 19 months. THE most important thing regarding this, however, is to Follow-up with actions that insure we start drilling again and SOON!

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  3. One of our highest producers -->>>
    http://journalrecord.com/2016/04/06/chaparral-gets-forbearance-agreement-on-senior-notes-energy/

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    1. Orion in trouble too and wanting to exchange held leases due to expire to be turned back in exchange to get new leases because there's no money left to give us for the new leases. What a royal mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. FYI - okenergytoday.com April 17, 2016 - "Chesapeake Settles More Fort Worth Lawsuits in Royalty Fight"

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    1. And this why they were busted.Under the lease terms, Chesapeake is not allowed to pass along “any part of the costs or expenses” of producing, gathering, transporting or processing gas, the suit states. And this is why we must process our own invoices to be sure this is not happening. With the BIA understaffed and we know that deficiencies with this agency exists. How can we be sure this has not happened already?

      Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/barnett-shale/article34350993.html#storylink=cpy

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    2. I have no doubt that the Osage Royalty is being charge for every expense. We need an audit, especially for natural gas. Unfortunately, BIA and OMC, in spite of repeated warnings, are asleep at the wheel and no expertise to ask the right questions.

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    3. Maybe tomorrow's meeting will mention if Washington is giving the MC more money? Someone in the last meeting said Washington said "why don't you get it from the shareholders again?"

      MC needs to be a "business entity" -- we are part of the world's oil, anything the Nations do with oil concerns OC too in some effect. There needs to be more expertise (as mentioned above) oil people going out in the field like Tallee, notes taken and recorded on an up-to-date programs. Expert in IT and oil knowledgeable to set up computer design graphs, maps, percentiles, plots, etc.

      It seems so wrong that those who come to the meeting asking for help to stay above the water (producers) have to wait for a monthly meeting and then sit there for their turn. I don't think there is always a definite "yes" or "no" answer to everything. The other is the "catch 22' answer -- [example: Concerning the discussion about S. Erwin signing for Chairman Waller to help a producer--I'm totally in agreement that the MC (as a whole) helped a producer in a last minute situation. The "catch 22' is that the MC (as a whole) did not get to vote on it. (Example: like in suing a company for something the manager did, in the end result, signing for Waller in absence was the same as saying "THE MC SOLVED THE PROBLEM." Who's the winner here, I say the "producer' and us, the shareholders, when a producer gets something done towards drilling, we benefit.

      Things have improved since the first MC, let's hope it will continue, until the MC gets money for more expertise help and the BIA gets more help--it's an total "uphill" struggle.

      Even with the low oil prices, shareholders would be eating what they want and paying their creditors on time if the producers had been allowed to keep on drilling.

      Our future depends a lot on who will be the next president. For now, I cannot figure out who is worthy? I wish Sanders was younger, I favor him a lot for now.

      To 10:35 a.m. -- It looks like capturing the gas from the flaring is going to be a new reg in the future also, I agree we absolutely need "accountability"' (audit), that's where help is needed in someone (maybe 3) going regularly in the field. If we had these computers, S. Erwin wouldn't have to repeatedly ask the Superintendent for reports. The MC needs these maps on their programs to go to at a moments notice, to look things up when a 'producer' is there to conference with them. In the meetings when a producer is describing the area and someone has to question them for a little more detail, they should be able to "pull" up the info right then.

      When someone speaks in the MC, I don't always recognize who's talking, but the councilman who discussed not being able to vote in S. Erwin's signing the producer something in Waller's absence, well, I see his side too! That's the 'catch 22' -- I see his point also. We elected the members and they should be able to bring up any subject they feel necessary and I'm glad he spoke up and he was given an answer, that's how it should work.

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    4. The entire Council should approve every word appearing under the MC letterhead.

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  5. MC Meeting Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/3rd-minerals-council-meeting

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  6. Absentee ballots for the upcoming election in June will begin to be mailed on May 3, 2016. The last day to get in your absentee ballot request form to the Osage Nation Election Office is May 2, 2016! HURRY!
    See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections

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  7. HEADS UP!
    Candidate Debates information is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/congressional-candidates-debate

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    1. Candidate Drawing for the groupings at the Debates THIS SATURDAY. SEE https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1099854926742000/?type=3&theater
      The debates will be streamed online April 30 at the Osage Casinos-Skiatook from 1-5 p.m.

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    2. On demand, watch online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1ut74501A

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    3. Where are the young people in this audience? Is the Osage Nation so lacking in interest for them that they don't even show an interest in it?

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    4. 1st Debate Group Summary:
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/05/02/first-group-congressional-debates-discuss-funding-priorities-and-separation-powers/
      2nd Debate Group Summary:
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/05/04/second-group-congressional-debates-discuss-osage-language-participation-constitutional-amendments-and-wya/
      3rd Debate Group Summary:
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/05/05/third-debate-group-discusses-tribal-sovereignty-term-limits-and-nations-future/

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  8. Insult to Injury!
    BIA Reinitiating Public Scoping for the Osage County Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement
    Go here:
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/234024393278360/
    then click on the text Osage_CO_REV_EIS_April_2016_NewsLtr.pdf

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  9. Deadline for the Absentee Ballot Request Forms at https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1100643839996442/?type=3&theater

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  10. Osage Shareholders Association Meeting is Sunday May 15th and more information is available at https://www.facebook.com/groups/234024393278360/

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    1. Who is running the Osage Shareholders Association these days?

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    2. The way it reads on Jim Ryan's Facebook page OSAGE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, Susan Forman is on the OSA Board and Melissa Ryan is the new Secretary. I'm not sure if the Boones are still involved or not. Last I heard Tom Boone Sr. was at the helm. Any update on this, please?

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    3. R.E. Yarbrough OSA Chairman
      LeeAnne Ammons, Vice Chairman
      Mary Lee Evans, Treasurer
      Melissa Ryan, Secretary
      Board: Gene Bowline, Susan Forman + 3 open positions

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    4. Thanks. This is good to know.

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  11. Sample Ballot and Constitutional Amendment.pdf is available at https://www.facebook.com/groups/234024393278360/

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  12. Candidate Meet and Greet information is located at
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1132583493428422&set=gm.1311415955539193&type=3&theater

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    1. Michael Bristow Campaign Facebook page is located at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBristowCampaign
      John Maker at https://www.facebook.com/makerforcongress/
      Jacque Jones at https://www.facebook.com/WJacqueJonesFor3rdOsageNationCongress/
      Archie Mason at http://www.archiemason.net and https://www.facebook.com/archiemasonforosagecongress
      Myron Red Eagle at https://mredeagle.com and https://www.facebook.com/Myron-Red-Eagle-1527546944227223/
      Rebekah Horsechief at https://www.facebook.com/RHONCongress2016/
      RJ Walker at https://www.facebook.com/rjwalkerjr
      Dannette Daniels at https://www.facebook.com/danette.daniels.9
      Shannon Edwards at https://www.facebook.com/EdwardsOsageCongress
      Brandy Lemon at https://www.facebook.com/BrandyLemonForCongress/
      Joe Tillman at https://www.facebook.com/josephdee.tillman

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    2. Maria Whitehorn https://www.facebook.com/VoteWhitehorn/

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    3. Speaker Whitehorn, sorry for the oversight and thank you for going to the trouble to post your campaign website to the Osage Blog.

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    4. See also http://www.votewhitehorn.com

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  13. The Osage Cattleman Association has spent so much of their funds on lobbying and supporting the costs of pushing for increase compliance measures on the Oil Producers of Osage County, lead by Jeff Henry and John Hurd, that the Osage Casinos felt that they needed to help them by giving the OCA $4,000 towards their annual convention and other events held on Fathers Day weekend!!!! To bad they do not feel the same about helping the three villages with their dances held in the same month!!!!

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    1. Let me get this right..... Osage Casinos are giving money to organizations that are biting the hands that feed them?? Unbelievable.

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    2. Woah is right. Isn't Byron Bighorse still the chief executive officer of Osage Casinos? Isn't he married to the Chief's daughter? What does this have to say about the Chief's loyalties to the Mineral Estate and to the oil and gas producers who make the money that goes into the Trust fund account for disbursement to the Shareholders quarterly?

      http://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/sandsprings/osages-name-new-casinos-ceo/article_679f5033-5426-542a-b499-9612027af5dc.html

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  14. It is officially May! Any speculation on June's Payment? Yes, I know that it's not released officially until mid month, however just curious if anyone has ran the math?

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    1. I speculate about the same as last quarters.

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  15. I heard June payment is $2550. I hope this is just a rumor.

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    1. We can thank the Obama administration for our demise. They're not done with us yet. Production should continue to decline as the Federal government is hell bent on destroying our ME. This was made obvious at the recent BIA Public Scoping meeting held in Pawhuska. The Solicitor showed the disdain the BIA has towards the producers attending.

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  16. Check out Osages You Need To Know.com for payment information.

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    1. Thank you Ray McClain. With Chaparral in Bankruptcy and so are about 30 other producing companies and we are not even talking about the domino effect this is on other companies who do buisness with them, there problem is much bigger and I hope they can pull through. The Administration should be helping them with a stimulus package as they did with Detroit auto industry. Just a thought. Thanks again.

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    2. And Drummond has filed an appeal on the Donelson case. Just great. Next thing I know, oil will go to $20.

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    3. From the latest news blast from Ray today:
      "If things aren’t bad enough, our most prolific producer, Chaparral Energy, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on May 9, 2016."

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    4. http://newsok.com/article/5497071
      http://www.ogfj.com/articles/2016/05/chaparral-files-for-chapter-11-protection.html

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    5. Ray, thank you for the information you provided on your website. I'm not holding my breath that the BIA will do anything to help the producers. They are the ME's and producer's adversary. Everything they have been doing during the past two years is intended to shut us down and to destroy us. They're doing a great job. They should change their mission statement to read death to the Indian Tribes.

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    6. To 12 PM, I hope the MC will tell us the basis for the Donelson appeal!

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    7. To 4:28 I am very sure they the MC come here and read often. How can you not rignt. There is no transperency from this council. We will have to rely on the news on progress.

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  17. So what do you think about Trump bringing back the fossil fuel industry? My bet he will replace Gina McCarthy.

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    1. He needs to replace Sally Jewell, Sec'y of the Interior. Then maybe, just maybe, we can get some sort of reform from the BIA.

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    2. I should have mentioned her as well.Talk about over reaching.

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    3. How about Mike Black and Janet Hale to the list.

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  18. The Saudi Arabian Way of Doing Business
    http://www.Osages-You-Need-To-Know.com

    Ray McClain posted this article and is very interesting. Thanks Ray McClain.

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  19. More Regs coming from the EPA. EPA seeks to cut methane from oil, gas by 40 percent. The American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry, said the new rule could harm America's "shale energy revolution" that has lowered U.S. carbon emissions and lowered costs for American consumers to heat their homes and drive their cars.

    "Even as oil and natural gas production has risen dramatically" in recent years, "methane emissions have fallen, thanks to industry leadership and investment in new technologies," said Kyle Isakower, API vice president of regulatory and economic policy.

    "It doesn't make sense that the administration would add unreasonable and overly burdensome regulations when the industry is already leading the way in reducing emissions," Isakower said. Read more at foxnews.com

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    1. Linn Energy just filed Chap. 11 bankruptcy.

      Delete
    2. Man it's tough out there. The last two years looking back has been disturbingly appalling. Oil is on its way back up. All we can do is hope the lenders in underwriting will take note and come up with some creative financing to help this industry. We know the resources are on both side of the fence for negotiations. We are coming away from a lull predicted research history repeats and I call it the 7yr itch. Dec of 2015 was at its lowest in 7 years. My prediction was a year off and I thought last year we would see a substantial increase. We are on our way in that direction up. With the EIS looming in the background and we know for sure our Agency is labored, will we lose out on the profits because of the permitting process is held up? And what is being done to expediting the process?

      Delete
    3. http://journalrecord.com/2016/05/12/chk-swap-lowers-debt-but-reduces-shareholder-value-energy/

      Delete
  20. The BIA is posting $41.25 for HPP for Osage crude, when everybody else is getting over $46.00 a barrel last Friday. That's a lot of money lost. Who is setting this price and why so low? Looks like it should at lease be $43 a barrel. Is the Flecher case any closer to any out come or is this going to be drug out for many years?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Show me where this $46 figure is coming from. If you are talking NYMEX, not everyone is getting this price in the Osage and this is false information. In fact, not anyone is getting this futures price in Osage County. Don't start with this nonsense to get the ball rolling again for those "death star" new CFRs. Enough damage has been done already. Sonny Abbott's NYMEX rate is off the table and no amount of agitating to get it as a pricing benchmark will be of any help to either the shareholders or the oil and gas producers. Forget about it and move on. Nobody with a brain wants to go through this process all over again. Leave well enough alone.
      NYMEX rate for yesterday:
      http://oil-price.net/index.php?lang=en

      Delete
    2. There's no nonsense when it comes to what the Osage are getting for their price of oil!! What the heck are you ragging about I'm been watching the market for months on many web sites. I don't know anything about Abbot's rate and could care less. I'm elderly and not so good right now but I know something isn't right here. You don't make any sense. What's with the CFR's and HHP? Know I don't have much brains left after fighting cancer. Maybe some day you will know too.

      Delete
    3. It makes plenty of sense to most people who know a futures rate has nothing to do with the active price of oil on the ground in Osage County. Oil and gas producers in the Osage are not paid that higher unrealized rate and they can't be expected to pay more in royalties to the Osages on a per barrel basis than they receive when paid for their oil and gas. That may not make you happy but it's real world and that what we all have to contend with. You should at least be happy the price of oil is coming back up and is out of the $20 range like it was at the very beginning of the year.

      Delete
    4. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Industry/2016/05/16/Oil-prices-move-closer-to-50-per-barrel-on-supply-fears/5741463406048/

      Delete
    5. When I started to read the article, good article by the way, my thought was of the same,there is still is a over supply.

      Delete
  21. The price of oil will not mean much if Obama doesn't lift his foot off our throats. His BIA has the operators shut down with no relief in sight. The MC needs to file a lawsuit against the BIA for this shut down. The so-called approved permits by the Superintendent two months ago contain errors and inconsistencies that prevent the producers from working on their wells. Their permits with the approval stamp are worthless as the Supt. attached eight pages of crap (additional restrictions and requirements) that prohibit the work proposed. Until we sue this hateful, vindictive administration, we are dead in the water.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The MC needs to act now not tomorrow and file a suit is a understatement. Tired of the lolly gagging from them. Replace them all.

      Delete
  22. BIA Argues Osage Co. Oil Producers Lawsuit Cannot be Heard Until Administrative Steps Are Finished
    http://okenergytoday.com/2016/05/18255/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Administrative Steps Are Finished? This Agency is broken. What are those steps? We need to pull away from them big time and operate our own ME. For sure we will sue them big time. We need the DOI to come down here and hold this office accountable. Time is not on our side and once again oil prices are moving up a nd where are we?

      Delete
    2. Happy happy happy

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    3. It's the DOI under Obama's hateful vindictive administration that has orchestrated this nightmare.

      Delete
    4. Well aware of the Establishment and the mounting one the ONG.

      Delete
  23. Today's meeting Agenda:
    https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-agenda-may-18th-meeting

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last Friday's Meeting Agenda:
      https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/3rd-minerals-council-meeting-0

      Delete
  24. Of interest -- Organizational flow chart of the DOI:
    https://www.doi.gov/whoweare/orgchart

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chief's flat out lie:
      "The Mineral Estate belongs to Osage Headright Shareholders and are federally protected and that is firm."
      The mineral rights are reserved to the Osage Tribe as is so stated in the 1906 Allotment Act. They are not reserved to any shareholders, headright owners or any others. The minerals income generated from the minerals rights of the Mineral Estate as a whole belong to the Osage Tribe as so stated in the 1938 Act to amend the 1906 Allotment Act. Chief Geoffrey Standingbear knows this, or should know it, and he is making false statements so that the Osage Nation can gain control of the oil and gas revenue it currently owns prior to it being collected by the OST and placed in the Federal Trust account from the mineral rights for the headright beneficiaries if and as soon as the BIA managed and administrated trust from which the headright owners receive their quarterly payments comes to an end by Federal revocation and termination as a result. It surely will if the BIA is out of the picture and the Osage Nation begins to manage the Osage Mineral Estate. The Office of the Special Trustee (OST) may well be there to collect the minerals income and place it in a trust account but at that point there is no guarantee that the money will be distributed to the current set of headright owners created specifically by the provisions of the 1906 Allotment Act. Beware of such representations because the full story is not being put out in its totality as usual. Only a part or a half of the story isn't good enough for the shareholders.

      Delete
    2. I'll sue and hold it in the courts as long as I live BS. I will call for the Chiefs removal and call him out. Cold day in hell before this happens.

      Delete
    3. The 1906 Allotment Act had the effect of defining the Osage Tribe, which consisted solely of those entitled to headrights. The act that permitted the Osage Nation to be formed and to define its membership was qualified with the words "not for all purposes" but the regulations have been being modified to change the intent of the 1906 Act in favor of the Osage Nation. Over time, all of the codified laws and regulations will be changed to read Osage Nation instead of Osage Tribe and the historical meaning will have been lost, leaving control and income of the ME to the ON. This is what happens when weasels with an agenda come to power.

      Delete
  25. Notice on the Facebook Page of the Osage Nation Election Office at
    https://www.facebook.com/Osage-Nation-Election-Office-250250828358561/?fref=nf
    Osage Nation Election Office
    IMPORTANT: If you have not received your ballot yet, please call the Election Office immediately at 1-877-560-5286 so we can mail you a duplicate ballot in case yours got lost in the postal system, or it has been returned to us due to a bad absentee mailing address!

    ReplyDelete
  26. ATTENTION ALL SHAREHOLDERS!
    As you are aware, the Osage Co. Producers have been fighting for their SURVIVAL ever since the BIA cracked down on permitting in July 2014. Another VERY IMPORTANT court hearing is coming up in Tulsa Federal Court this Friday, May 27th at 10:30am in Judge Frizzell's Courtroom #1, 333 W 4th St #411, Tulsa, OK . Please plan to show up early (to go through security) and show your support! We NEED big numbers just like last August. We cannot let the BIA get away with the continued criminal negligence of their responsibility to manage and develop our ME and have it sanctioned by our Federal Court System. PLEASE set aside some time to come to this hearing. You will learn a great deal about the lawsuits and the arguments of the BIA and OPA. Email the OMC and demand they be there! minerals@osagenation-nsn.gov

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Shareholders for "not" showing up at the hearing. We'll get what we deserve. Pathetic!

      Delete
  27. Donald Trump to speak on Energy...Replace Sally Jewel and Gina McCarthy is a first step i the right direction . Audit these Agencies is the next step. Can't wait to here his thoughts. Lets get the Energy sector working again!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha, Trump calls the EPA a totalitarian agency...we will have complete energy independence. Yes!

      Delete
    2. The last few times I've heard Trump on the news he has stated he wants the U.S. to be "energy self-sufficient." But it's kind of scary too, worried he might become an extremist and start changing things to quickly. Countries already bi-passing the dollar currency.

      Can anyone tell me if they've seen the article Chairman Waller said he had an interview for (Indian Country?). Do you know if it's on one of those news you have to pay for or join, maybe that's why I can't find it?

      I sure would like to be in the presence of that group coming from D.C. while they review the MC. Really think this is a "big deal." Maybe this could be the first step toward "a business office," and repudiate the "flaws." Really would like to know their (DC) opinion on the set-up and frequency of the monthly meetings.

      Wonder why the Chairman just announced it (DC coming) and didn't tell anyone else, maybe he was worried if there was a vote, the council would vote against it? But I'm for his decision/action to follow through on such an important step for the mineral estate's future.

      I don't know who it was discussing human resource office running regs (going to listen again), but "kudos" to him for actually getting copies and bringing new ideas to the MC for review and consideration. So intriqued with the recent, positive actions coming about in the estate. New hope for the future of the mineral estate. Mineral councilmen will change through elections, but with the right decisions and action, the estate will be here for future generations, maybe a state of the art equipment. Doesn't the ON offer a special scholarship for students majoring in oil industry?

      A 'thank you' to the lady shareholder who spoke up at end of meeting about the bickering between the councilmen, each councilman has a right to speak his opinion and the right to hear themselves heard through, then if a councilman wants to retaliate--wait their turn, don't start a ignorant screaming match. The Chairman "did" stop the screaming and let the person speaking to finish.

      Delete
  28. Any word yet on what happened today at 10:30 AM at Tulsa Federal Courtroom of Judge Frizzel as to the permiting lawsuit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judge is to rule in about a week.

      Delete
    2. If you had attended like you were requested to do you would know the answer to your question. The Shareholders were begged to attend to show support for our producers but the Shareholders were too apathetic and lazy to attend.

      It is apparent that we Shareholders just don't give a damn about our mineral estate.

      Delete
    3. Why are you assuming the shareholder's do not care? Do the math. There is only and if that 20% of 20,000 Osages who live in the area..maybe 2000. Then you take away from that figure how many are shareholder's, then you take away how many are minors. There are only 5000 Shareholder's give or take a few. Then you advertise a week before there is going to be a meeting. Not everyone especially after receiving the appalling annuity check that just came in the mail, no one can afford to make those last minute meeting's. Yes it is important to attend to stay comprised and show support. Politics should not exist on our ME pure and simple, but non the less it does nor should our Federal Indian Land the true Reservation the ME should not be for the taking either. The excuse that the Osage Agency is under staffed is costing the Osage. A day late and another dollar short. After the HPP settlement the BIA who is fiscally responsible has not lived up to the promise. Instead they authorized more regulation instead of fixing the real problem. When we especially understand it would take a act of Congress to authorize any changes. Government overreach. Personally, I would prefer to be notified by all parties about the on going problems that face the Producers and our ME through mail, phone and internet. Nothing is set up for that..so how can a shareholder stay informed or even trust the MC at this point? We need real solutions for our real problem. Lack of accountability and lack of transparency. How about rather than complain, share with us how the meeting went?

      Delete
    4. Out of 5,000 Shareholders that you cite, only about 10 showed up including myself. That calculates to be less than 1/5th of 1%. Only two out of the eight Council Members cared enough about the permits to show up. There should have been 100% attendance by the Council Members. The Shareholders do not support the producers and do not hold the Mineral Council accountable. The Mineral Council Members do not support the producers either; lip service is all the producers get from our elected MC Members. There should be a few hundred Shareholders at every Mineral Council meeting and the Tribe should provide a facility large enough to accommodate the attendees. The Shareholders should have initiated the removal of the current council members already. I suggest each Shareholder join the Osage Shareholders Associations in every state, then get involved. Volunteer to help unite the Shareholders and demand performance from the Mineral Council. The local Osage Shareholders Association is under new management and plans to get very aggressive. Join the movement.

      Judge Frizzell is going to rule this week by deciding whether to allow the producer's lawsuit to continue or to dismiss the lawsuit. It's a big deal. Too bad our Mineral Council didn't join the lawsuit with the producers. A letter supporting the producers' complaint is all they contributed. If we Shareholders want the producers to be able to work on their wells then we should help them fight the Obama administration's attack on us and the producers. The battle ground is the Federal Courtroom. Make a demand of our Mineral Council Members to take up arms against this hateful, vindictive, prejudice and un-American federal administration.

      Delete
    5. This MC is currently 10 meetings behind on publishing the minutes. That makes a total of 28 meetings they have had since they have been in office where no minutes have been published. If I recall correctly, every one of them promised transparency and accountability when they were running for office. This is the chairman's responsibility to see that these things get done. Well, he shore ain't cutt'n it. And the other 7 don't seem to care.

      Delete
    6. Kathryn Red Corn used to be on top of this kind of stuff. E-mail her and see what she has to say at minerals@osagenation-nsn.gov
      Meanwhile you can listen to the meetings on demand at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council/meeting-information

      Delete
    7. I'd been there but I'm crippled and can hardly get to the bathroom now days. My cuz is a shareholder too in the Osage and she's on a walker and can't go any where. I do support the producers. Everybody has to be hurting as low as crude is. I am.

      Delete
    8. Only Cynthia and Stephanie attended the Frizzell hearing. Where was the rest of the Council? Everett was AWOL. Shameful!

      Delete
    9. Thank you Cynthia and Stephanie for attending the OPA lawsuit hearing. I live out of OK, and I wanted to attend but don't even have gas money to go to the big city 60 miles from here.

      Delete
    10. My prayers to you also 6:55AM. I had to get legal aid help myself. Who ever thought it would be this bad. I've hung on as long as I could. If I could work I would. At lease I can keep my home and car thru legal aid of Tulsa.

      Delete
  29. https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1117660984961394/?type=3&theater

    ReplyDelete
  30. Keep up with the election:
    https://www.facebook.com/Osage-Nation-Election-Office-250250828358561

    ReplyDelete
  31. Dates for the Dances:
    https://www.facebook.com/osagenation/photos/pb.706989499311362.-2207520000.1464384806./1216628831680757/?type=3&theater

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/02/grayhorse-lon-schka-dances-june-2-5/

      Delete
  32. My June payment has been deposited this morning. It's early and I did need it now. Thanks chairman.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you're depending on your Headright check for every day needs and essentials, I will pray for you. I think the amount will be falling significantly in the near future with these low oil prices, the possibility that Chaparral's Burbank field may be in jeopardy and the fact that our Osage producers are not able to work on their wells much less drill new wells. The Superintendent's so-called permit approvals are not approvals at all. Smoke and mirrors. The approvals were sent out with so many restrictions and requirements that the producers cannot perform the work requested on the permits. The Superintendent was just going through the motions to appear as if the BIA is performing.

      Instead of thanking the Chairman for your payment, you should be holding him accountable for not standing up to the powers to be in Washington.

      Delete
    2. Please pray for me I'm very sick and on so. sec. now. I worked for 30 years. But hanging on.

      Delete
    3. I have to agree with poster 10:45 am. No one should be thanking the chairman or our council who are literally "MIA" and who appear to not care about the integrity of the M.E. This is what happens when you have arm chair coaching. A entitlement attitude. They the Council will have to answer to the Shareholder's, owners of the M.E. and be held accountable for the lack of transparency.

      Delete
    4. Well I am somebody and he told me that he was the one that would release the payments to be sent out. I don't know how it all really works most of us don't. There is a lot of room for improvement with the MC, but why be so hateful. Looks to me the big grip is Galen.

      Delete
    5. Listen to the meetings. You may think otherwise. I'm sniffing another one wanting a big pay check from the Osage Nation at the behest of the shareholders and the OME.

      Delete
    6. To 2.05 PM--If you are talking about the chairman, he has nothing to do with sending out your payment, and if he told you that, don't believe it. He doesn't even know how much payment will be until about 2 weeks before you receive it. As for Galen, he and Yates are the only ones on that counsel we can trust with the truth. If we lose them, we're really sunk.

      Delete
    7. To June 2 at 11:52 a.m. I will say a prayer for you each day. I'm near 70 and on social security, and I don't get full amount because I had to apply early to survive after losing my job in 2008. After four years paying car payments, I paid it off in this quarterly, but now I don't have August rent, but I'm still counting my blessing.

      Delete
    8. This was coming and so predictable and no accident. My thoughts are with you both.

      Delete
  33. FYI:
    Early voting information is located at http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/05/31/early-voting-days-set-june-3-4-2016-election/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mail and get your absentee ballot in:
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/05/26/over-600-election-absentee-ballots-returned-so-far/

      Delete
    2. I received my absentee ballot two weeks ago but decided to throw it way. We need a new form of government as this current format only represents the local Osages with the exception of our $500 welfare card which my adult children and I refuse to use. I am a proud Osage and I am sickened by our so-called leadership.

      Delete
    3. Understood and understandable at this juncture. Not much representation and it's become a big scam. Don't know if you get Kuggees Notes to the Nation. He's so funny in the latest issue when he writes,
      "People we haven’t seen anywhere for years are being seen everywhere now; even the opening of a man hole cover will draw a crowd."
      Other than the last Notes a few weeks ago, how long has it been since he has sent out his newsletter? Years?

      Delete
    4. Scholarship Deadline is looming:
      https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1119804661413693/?type=3&theater

      Delete
    5. I didn't submit one either this Government is acting entitled. And if our Constitution mirrors the U.S explains everything. Right? Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the best Government of them all? This is by far not the Government we wanted for all Osages..all I can say is not one cannidate did I here them say "I am here to protect the interest of the Constituency and less Government". And that pro-rata share from the casino's will be in the future.

      Delete
    6. It's institutionalized corruption. The Osage Llc. really pried the scales off my eyes, and made me face the reality that many of these esteemed leaders are just con artists using their Tribal identity as just another way to run their scams.
      Pretty sure in the "old days" these kinds of people would be taken on hunting trips and somehow never make it back.
      Our only real hope is a new constitution without any ambiguity about running our enterprises and very painful punishments for violations.

      Delete
    7. To further the scam, the SCOTON has put a decision out there that the ON does not have to answer to any legal precedent of any other government with a constitution be it state, tribal or federal. We were promised that the proposed new government would not be going in a direction that was way off road, that our constitution would be patterned on the U.S. Constitution and that we would have those governmental traditions and legal precedents to depend on as the roll out took place. It was all lies, lies and more lies and has been from even before the new government began with the very first election in June of 2006. I cannot represent in writing how horribly dishonest this whole scam has been and how many of the Osages in Osage County have enriched themselves with our gaming funds. It's the worst betrayal and disgrace I have seen in my entire lifetime. They are happy as clams back there in OC you can be assured of that with little if any penalties in the law for those in elected office and those who work for them in the government. Six layers of management with division leaders making $65,000 plus and benefits who don't even know how things work at the lowest level! On and on and they try to play a shell game all the time hiding our money from one branch and another at the Congressional level and away it goes, day in and day out. It's horrible and the thieving and lies continue to happen every single day. The very idea that they could have wrested the power away from the Headright owners and especially those who live outside Osage County who have conned us all successfully is a something they take great pride and profound satisfaction in and have since the day that phony Constitutional election took place with Hepsi reported to have been walking around with a box full of absentee ballots that were never even counted. The bad joss will circle around to all of them and soon because they are in way over their heads in staggering debt with that stupid ranch they purchased from Mr. Narcissism himself who is laughing all the way to the bank at having sold that ranch for 16%-17% higher that it was worth and what it should have been offered and paid for in the first place. Never mind Kugee’s feeble attempt in his latest Notes to the Nation to try to embarrassingly justify that new board with the excuse that they will make money for the Nation. If they can break even with all that debt service and the hard cost to purchase “Kugee and Standingbear’s Folly” on a yearly basis it will be real stretch and astounding. I can almost guarantee his written representation about this won’t even come close to possible. They will manipulate the numbers you can bet on that and before the ink hits the page, they will report that the ranch is a profitable business venture for them when even a cursory examination of the actual balance sheet will reveal that such representations are utter nonsense. You have to report losses and employment costs, board costs and hard cost for everything involved including the fees for the debt service in the first place. It will be gaming proceeds that will support this so called diversified business venture nonsense from now on which makes no sense at all and never did and never will.

      Delete
    8. This will change.

      Delete
    9. The ranch purchase was a wise choice solely for restoring the land base.
      As to whether it will actually make money is hard to say. All of the failed businesses didn't fail because they were run like programs, they failed because corrupt leaders only put corrupt people in charge.
      So I'm sure there are people lining up destroy the ranch just so long as they can skim some change off the deal.

      A constitutional convention with an unambiguous constitution is the only answer.

      Delete
    10. It's only wise if we can afford it. We can't and never could at such a price. At any price really. It's not only foolish it's horridly stupid. Those gaming parlors may not hold for another five years with the same level of payout and everything we have in the Treasury is run out and paid out to the limit. Eventually we will crash and burn and it will be scorched earth. You have to pay for land yearly and it's expensive; placing an even bigger burden on the ON government. A constitution was and is the worst most ruinous thing that has ever happened to the Osage Tribe, no question. I'd like to see a vote to return the Tribe to a resolution style of government that is the most sensible idea of all. It worked. This, whatever you'd like to call it, does not.

      Delete
    11. The resolution government was an even bigger failure than this one. No economically successful enterprises for the entirety of its duration.
      Anyone with half a brain has to wonder why they never started and ran anything related to the oil industry in all those years. Not even a single pulling unit. Nothing.
      In other words, no jobs and no economic development since its inception.
      How is that even possible?

      At least now we have a starting point. We just need a constitution that focuses on what matters and instead of rewarding crooks just runs them off.

      Delete
    12. The ranch is being paid for with gaming revenue. The ranch board wanted to at least have the ranch pay for itself, taxes, personnel, upkeep, etc. I heard they had a pretty good 5 year business plan to make some money. The Chief told the board the ranch was not purchased to make money, and their business plan wasn't any good. Evidently most of the board is going to resign and let the Chief run the thing himself. I know it is hard to believe but the board members that I know are honest hard working people. All they have gotten out of this deal is grief. From the messed up Articles of Operation (aka license to steal)that were drafted by the Tallgrass LLC attorney to the John Hurd no hire. The ranch board is paying another attorney to make the articles of operation comply with Osage laws, because they were actually trying to do the right thing. That ranch could have at least paid it's own bills, until the Chief and the Asst. Chief got involved. The Chief won't lease the ranch to the board to manage unless they do what he tells them to do, which is make the entire ranch a bison preserve. I guess that is ok, but the Osage people will be footing the bill for that kind of deal for a long time.

      Delete
    13. Get that bustard and APC Ray-Ray too on violations of Osage Constitution Article X, Section 8 before the whole thing goes right down the toilet and we have to use gaming funds to keep paying for this stupidity until the 12th of Never. Board should file an immediate complaint with the AG and hope she's honest enough to make it stick to the both of them. Bison ranch my foot! That land goes works for us or it goes right back up for auction sale to the highest bidder. Chief you're job's on the line and we are watching every stupid unethical thing you do...

      Delete
    14. June 6, 2016 at 5:37 PM, seems like you never hear of the saga of Osage 1. Ask around. It's another mildly interesting story of Osage officials with pipe dreams that failed miserably too.

      Delete
    15. Great point poster 11:06 AM. And I happen to agree with poster at 11:03 AM to. The Chief is fluttering in the Face of the Constituency. Birds of a feather flock together. Both the Chief and Ray Ray should be removed. Listen, the truth of the matter is and always will be about money right and who has the authority when the power really lies in the Constituency. We the Osage. We want at all cost our money to make money for development of our infrastructure. For every dollar spent and this is creative financing at its best, the ONG should match what they spend in oder to build our communities meaning our districts as promised. Millions gone. And as I have said you don't have to look to far just look to their backyards. Follow the money trail. Millions gone without as much as a slap on the hand. That's telling. Community development, instead we create a land base for the preservation of bison, Blue Stem Ranch and the Capitol we are already spending will continue only to grow into another money pit. Overhead. Was that clearly explained by the Chief to Congress or was Congress bamboozled? Was the diligence presented clearly by the Chief? Or was the Chief derelict to represent his duty to the constituency? And lets be honest, the purchase of the park and the airport are all on the losing end as well. Now add this to the mix if Trump is elected as President what he could do to the Casino's and do not come running to the M.E. The economy is spiraling. Bottom line is we don't need a dictator in our office and if we head into a constitutional convention I'll be first in line to submit a copy of a New Constitution signed by the Constituency. We will have fair and balance. We will have transparency and accountability and we will have smaller Government and we will get that per-cap out and have term limits. Osages sticking to Osages. We got to turn this mentality of entitled around.

      Delete
    16. Worth attending tomorrow morning to find out WTH is going on with this crazy ranch deal--->>>

      Bluestem Ranch, LLC
      Board Meeting
      Pawhuska Business Center
      1225 Virginia Short St
      Pawhuska, OK
      Thursday, June 9, 2016
      11:00 A.M.

      Agenda--->>>
      https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/bluestem-ranch-llc-board-meeting-4

      Delete
    17. Final signatures on the purchase of "Standingbear's Folly" otherwise known as the Bluestem Ranch is happening today. Chief has taken over and the Board has been out mastered by the ole' Osage sneak up. From what I'm hearing, he has no intention of letting the board run the thing as a money making venture and APC Ray-Ray is right behind him on wanting to keep it a bison preserve. This ranch has to make us money and if it doesn't it will run us even further into the ground financially. Once again, another group of lies from the Executive and the Congress to the Osage people about how our money is being spent and we can hardly afford to carry a ranch of this size that will only eat gaming revenue alive year after year. These elected officials are so insane it's not even to be believed. I hear some of the board are going to walk away and let the Chief run it and the full story is going to come out because those that leave are going to reveal what the Chief has been up to in trying to stop the board from doing their jobs. What's new I know but this is really serious now. Were talking millions upon millions of dollars going in with loans we can hardly afford and acres and acres of land that won't do anything for us but cost money. Travesty after travesty redux. We have to appeal to the NIGC this time and the members of the board should step up to do this and file a complaint. This ranch must be for economic development which it clearly is not or gaming revenue can't be spent on it for an ego trip that we cannot even think about trying to afford long run.

      https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1124518264275666/?type=3&theater

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    18. Folly is a understatement more like slight of hand and is looking like the Chief and Ray Ray do not want us to know the logistics. Wasn't it after the purchase 2 million was needed a.s.a.p? Wondering what it is in it for him and what back handed deal he made? People run businesses not Government Chief. Government spends and loses money. Ypu can't have your cake and eat it at the same time. This will drain the Osage money of which the Chief is sworn to protect. There are boundaries to protect the interest and from conflict of interest. Without exposing personal information the deal should be exposed under the open records act after all this is the Osage Money right and if this deal pans out to be something else than fortuitous, we have a problem. Then we have a Chief that did not act in good faith and could be disbarred and removal as Chief imminent.

      Delete
    19. The logistics, I suspect are this; they overload themselves with so much debt that to save the Osage Nation they have no other alternative but to go after the Mineral Estate.

      Delete
    20. Getting the silent treatment...? Why would that be?

      Delete
    21. Kugee no less running us right into the ground. We need this expansion like another hole in the head.

      http://osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/13/tulsa-osage-casino-hotel-plans-updated/

      Delete
    22. "In 2014, the Third ON Congress passed a $3.3 million appropriation bill (sponsored by then-Congressman Standing Bear) that was later reduced to $3 million for the Fairfax facility construction with the remaining $300,000 designated to cover the Nation’s investment in bringing a grocery store to the Fairfax community."

      https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1126269470767212/?type=3&theater

      Spend spend spend spend spend.................

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    23. Fairfax gets $250,000. Hominy does too.
      Kugee again.
      http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/03/07/osage-awarded-800000-new-wellness-center-163597
      May 19, 2016 E-Edition. http://barnsdalltimes.com
      Spend spend spend spend spend.................

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    24. The loan was for $175 million and the gaming board agreed that $75 million would be used to purchase the ranch.

      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/09/osage-nation-buys-ted-turners-bluestem-ranch-just-over-74m/

      Delete
    25. UGH!
      https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/congratulations-osage-turner-enterprises

      Delete
  34. I see that okenergytoday.com reports judge throws out law suite in favor of BIA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugly.
      http://okenergytoday.com/2016/06/18701/

      Delete
    2. BIA court will rule in its own favor. Always has, always will. Just another stupid hoop to jump through for the producers as if they haven't had to jump through enough already.

      Delete
    3. {OPA lawsuit, it's not over yet.} Quote from article (June 2): "...the Judge ruled the OPA was also granted 'leave to file a second amended complaint on or before June 10, 2016 to correct the deficiencies...'

      But it's not to refile the lawsuit, seems they by-passed legal procedures "..exhaust the agency appeals process before bringing the suit"

      Maybe they got the wrong 'lawyer.'

      If the MC should ever file suit also, this new knowledge can help in getting court proceedings in order the first time.

      Delete
    4. Are you suggesting we throw good money after bad? Please remember who's money you are throwing around!

      Delete
  35. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/06/06/devon-energy-to-sell-texas-oklahoma-oil-fields/

    Devon Energy - Selling Out!

    ReplyDelete
  36. ELECTION RESULTS:

    - Archie Mason – 941
    - Joe Tillman – 926
    - Maria Whitehorn – 926
    - RJ Walker – 890
    - Shannon Edwards –
    - John Maker – 721

    See more information at http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/07/five-incumbents-one-new-congressman-elected-fifth-congress/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PASSES:
      See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/2016-general-election-results

      Delete
    2. See also https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections

      Delete
    3. Wow! Jech got dumped! He's the only one who really knows how the money works around there. With no one who knows the inner workings of the Tribal Treasury and Tribal budgeting in the Congress there will be no one with any real understanding of how it all comes together properly. This can't be good. I'd sooner have seen Maker go than Jech and Tillman has the reputation of being a clown. That's the last thing we need now that the Chief is trying to end run a new constitution through Whitehorn and probably without the locked down protections of the now in effect Article XV. This could be good or it could be bad depending on how the Chief plans on playing it out.

      Delete
    4. Red Eagle pays for a vote recount.
      Convoluted reasoning to say the least--->>>
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/13/election-board-conduct-recount-2016-election-june-15/

      Delete
    5. What I don't understand is how this is a recount if they are using the same machines as the original count? How do we know the machines are even accurate without an independent counting of the votes?
      One would think the entire process would be independent in order to verify the accuracy of the vote, not just shoving the cards into the same machine and saying "yepp, same outcome, nothing to see here. Thanks for the $500 bucks and the overtime pay."

      Delete
    6. At some point, it was discussed in one of the Congressional Committee meetings that the recount is for the candidate's votes alone and not all of the other candidate's votes which is the most unethical thing I've ever heard of in my life. Then one of the election people started whining about how much work it was to do a full and entire recount of every candidate in a particular election for elected office. Every time they don't want to do what they're supposed to do, they complain like this. In the real world, if you are this afraid of work then you are terminated and released to find another job with perhaps with less responsibility commensurate with the skill and depth of character of the employee involved. It's just more evidence of how upside down this new government is and why it can't fully justify its existence as a legitimate entity representing the Osage people.

      Delete
    7. Recount underway. See https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1128474097213416/?type=3&theater

      Delete
    8. Great post 9:36 AM.

      Delete
    9. A mistake was made and discovered in the recount.
      http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/06/16/june-6-election-results-unchanged-after-recount/

      Delete
  37. Except with SCOTON where our stupid judicially insubordinate justices have taken all constitutional rulings from other federal, municipal and tribal governments off the table where the Osage Nation is concerned...

    http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/06/13/breaking-scotus-overturns-ninth-circuit-upholds-tribal-court-convictions-164779

    ReplyDelete
  38. Minerals Meeting Agenda and this on it --->>>
    Establish the beneficiary and the assets of the Osage Mineral Trust – Talee Redcorn
    https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-june-10-1

    ReplyDelete
  39. Another Osage on the dole and for how much?
    Melissa Currey when she was the BIA Superintendent was the second worst ever at returning phone calls.
    http://www.osagenationlandbuybackprogram.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and the FIRST WORST ever at running the Osage Agency in the best interest of the Osage Shareholders!

      Delete
    2. Be careful what you ask for. Melissa may have had her faults but one of them was not having a vendetta against the producers. The current Superintendent, Robyn Phillips, is at war with the producers and this directly impacts the Shareholders pocketbooks. Mr. Swan's testimony yesterday verified a continual drop-off in production.

      Delete
    3. The drop-off in production has nothing to do with Robyn Phillips. She is only following Federal Law, ie: the 1979 National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA). If previous Superintendents had started implementing the requirements of the 1979 NEPA 35 or so years ago, it would have been much less painful for the producers, the shareholders, and the BIA alike. The BIA could have (and probably should have) been sued many times for not following the rules. The Hayes and the Donnelson cases are perfect examples.
      What we should be worrying about is the effort our friends(sic) in the House have put into HR 812. This bill would eliminate the Office of the Special Trustee for Indians(OST). It fails to indicate exactly who would assume the responsibility for collecting our royalty income. OST is doing a great job and it is headed by an Osage and we have several other good friends to the Osage there. If this gets through the senate as written, we could be in bad shape at the federal level. I don't think Obama would sign such a thing, but if Donald Trump should be sitting behind that big desk, there's no telling what he might do. Hopefully, the Senate will kill it.

      Delete
    4. Donald Trump, now you are assuming and you know what that means...oil is his goal along with coal and he understands the overreach by the EPA. You couldn't be futher from the truth..now what and who should be concerned is the Nation and our Casino's.

      Delete
    5. Earth to poster on 6/17@ 10:27AM. What planet are you from. Robyn Phillips has everything to do with the drop off in production. She sent a letter to the producers in July, 2014 requesting permits that would not require an environmental assessment or other onerous regs. Any permits after 8/14 would require such items. She reneged on her word, sat on permits for 15 months and Osage County's production declined markedly. So if you make a comment, know what you're talking about. Sounds more like a politician!

      Delete
  40. Meeting is live and the Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-june-15
    It has been noted that the Superintendent is yet again absent for this meeting. Do they have a truant officer over at the BIA?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Again this is noted on the Agenda for today:
      8. EXECUTIVE
      A. Establish the beneficiary and the assets of the Osage Mineral Trust – Talee Redcorn

      Delete
    2. What is this on the Agenda?
      B. MOU
      Memorandum of Understanding about what and with whom?

      Delete
    3. Well, now they have decided that they had better participate in the development of the EIS after all. It was glaringly stupid to decline the MOU the first time around. I hope they got smarter (I can dream can't I?) OOPS, I spoke too quick. Now they have hired another lawyer to tell them one more time, that the ME is held in trust by the US, for the Osage Nation, and for the exclusive benefit of the Shareholders. Damn,,,and here I thought they were out of money.

      Delete
    4. The ME (mineral rights reserved to the Osage Nation) is held in trust by the U.S. for the Osage Nation and the minerals income generated from the mineral rights is placed in the Federal trust account for the exclusive benefit of the Headright owners.

      Delete
    5. Tell MC3 that. I'll bet you work cheaper than the lawyer they are hiring.

      Delete
    6. The Osage Allotment Act of 1906, as amended, defines the Osage Tribe as those who hold headrights in the Minerals Estate. Recent changes in the Code of Federal Regulations has replaced references to Osage Tribe with Osage Nation. The latter group has members which are not a part of the Osage Tribe per se, nor are they considered Osage for all purposes. That said, you are watching the rights of the headright holders being diminished. Eventually, the ON government will have asked enough lawyers to get the desired opinion and the ME revenue will be reallocated. It will then take a lengthy - and costly - court battle to resolve the dispute.

      Delete
  41. Ray McClain's latest blog is very wrong in its analysis of comparing U.S. oil production trends to trends in Osage County. U.S. oil production started declining in 3/15 after enough drilling rigs were idled to finally curtail production. Osage production started its decline in 7/14 which is precisely when Robyn Phillips issued her edict to conform to new permit regs or else. The BIA is absolutely responsible for the decline in production in the county. The stripper wells in Osage County are largely unaffected by what the Saudis are doing. These wells need timely permits to keep their marginal amounts of oil from being shut-in. The brief blip upwards in 3/15 in Osage County was due to a bump in the Burbank CO2 flood. Now that is declining as well because of delayed permits from the BIA and Chaparral's financial issues. Ray, you're lucky you don't read stock charts for a living because you're miserable at it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ray with all respect and I do appreciate your updates and I have to agree with the poster at 1:35 PM. Huge Pokitics at play here to the detriment of the M.E. All on the watch of the M.C. ANd its more the Robyn Phillips. I also blame the upper echelon as well. The Chief as well.

      Delete
    2. If you are disputing the numbers used to build the chart on Osage production, those numbers were announced at the Wednesday MC meetings. Are you saying you have more accurate production numbers? A short decline did begin on 7/14, then it rose again, peaking at 3/15, exactly where the U.S. production peaked. The major DECLINE from that point was nearly identical to the U.S. decline.
      You seem to be saying that if it weren’t for Robin Phillips, production would have stayed at 3/15 levels nation-wide, and that’s just not true. Drilling for new production in Osage county, and all over the nation, is absolutely inspired by the price of oil, and not by whether permitting requirements have been updated or not. The price of oil has been down, therefore the drilling of new wells has been down. We all know that since Osage production usually begins to drop on a new well very quickly, and then it can level off and remain steady for many years before the decline continues. At some point though, production, for practical economic purposes, will decline to the point that the well will need to be plugged and abandoned. Therefore, we must continue to drill new wells to just stay even.
      Also, exactly how is it that stripper wells are not affected by the Saudi actions. The last I heard, stripper well oil was basically the same price as any other oil. All wells need timely permits when they go down, and all wells are subject to go down at any time, even new ones.
      I have heard nothing about Chaparral having trouble getting permits. It seems that they, and quite a few others, make their permit applications, fill in the blanks, take 4 pictures, and send everything in. And, I hear nothing about those permits not being forthcoming in a timely manner. What are they doing different? Ditto for 5 or 6 other Producers who have been drilling and doing work-overs.
      Robin Phillips is following Federal law, which in this case is the CFR’s. These are the same CFRs we have had for over 20 years. The difference is, now they are being enforced. Not enforcing the CFRs cost the BIA $380,000,000 about 5 years ago. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to get in that position again.

      Delete
    3. Ray, you're living in a dream world. Those numbers from Osage County are totally masked by the increase from the Burbank CO2 flood. Otherwise, the decline in Osage County would be far worse. This decline did indeed start BEFORE the decline nationally. Robyn Phillips told the producers that any permits submitted before 7/14 would be processed promptly with no additional strings attached. They were processed but not before 15 months had passed and had 7 pages of attachments. Get your facts straight before you go off and defend the BIA. Did Galen Crum write your script? By the way, at last report, Chaparral had 7 permits waiting to be approved that had been submitted in 2015.

      Delete
    4. I think your 'last report' is a little out of date. Chaparral had 4 work-over permits approved in May and they have 2 workover permits and 1 drilling permit approved that are processed and currently in the normal 30 day waiting period. They also have 1 plugging permit being reviewed for approval.

      I've said all along that Chaparral has been our big ace in the hole. They have increased Burbank's production by about 2600 BPD since they started producing the CO2 flood in 2013 or 2014. Permits are the least of their problems. They have filed chapter 11 because of the price of oil.

      The BIA is burrowing out from under their mistakes of the past, which were many. It is taking longer than I had hoped, but it looks like they are finally making some progress. Yes, I support the concept of the BIA running our mineral estate. They will never be perfect in everyone's eyes, but the alternatives are the inept OK. Corp. Comm. or a horrendously expensive private company. I believe we should stay with the BIA and hold their feet to the fire to strive to get it right. This is what the U.S. Government agreed to do in 1906, and it has saved the Osages millions upon millions of dollars over the years. We know that they let 380 million slip through the cracks during that time, and probably much more. We must be much more vigilant in the future, and start paying attention to our business a little better.

      Delete
    5. I agree with you, Ray. The BIA is the only thing that will keep the Federal ME trust in place for the current set of headright owners. When the U.S. Congress decides to let us manage our own affairs with a compact with the OK Corp Commission involvement, we will very likely no longer have income coming into the same Federal trust account and who knows who will manage the situation if the OST is removed from the picture. What Sonny Abbot seems not to realize is if the Osage Nation government gets the reins to distribute to only those who live in Osage County, it will keep the royalty income because it won't be fair to hand out that income to the old shareholders because of those who don't have a headright and who don't get a quarterly payment from the old revoked Federal ME Trust that came into being as a result of the provisions of the 1906 Allotment Act.

      Delete
    6. The thing to keep in mind is Osage control of the OME is straight up the ONO agenda and it is being pursued relentlessly. Many ONOs don't want a ME distribution period because they view it as just like a per capita payment and not personal property distributed by law to the Osage annuitants.

      Delete
    7. Yes the Burbank CO2 project is an "ace in the hole" because, thanks to the BIA's total cessation of permit approvals until being sued by the producers, the rest of the County's production has fallen off the table. The BIA should be held accountable for their inactions but only the producers, with vague support from the MC, have fought back. Now the producers are out of money. So if the ME is going to depend on Chaparral to sustain it, good luck. Bankruptcy can take a lot of different paths if oil prices stay at or below $50/barrel.

      Delete
    8. I guess we agree after all. The operative phrase is: "if oil prices stay at or below $50/barrel."

      Delete
    9. We can make this easy,start posting the numbers for the Shareholder's. Where is the spread sheet that posted the years of production numbers, up to today, with the four quarters posted? Where are the spread sheets with the numbers reflecting the current production and permit totals? How can a shareholder derive to a conclusion in regards to our status? I think it is time to sue. I'm starting the procees. This just makes me ill the lack of representation for the Shareholder's. There is just to much evidence and facts in front of our faces and yet we cannot get a straight answer. There is no transperency or accountability. And I will be going to Washington as well. I have been sitting idle and have been wanting to do this for a while. Just had health issues, weddings and new grand children in the mix of this surgery as well. And in full recovery now.

      Delete
    10. Sue away but I doubt things will change. The Minerals Agency created by the new Osage Constitution, Article XV, lists the MC as the actual OME operatives but it says nothing about these Council members being representatives of the very Osage headright owners who elect them every four years. You have legal battles ahead with not only the MC alone but the Osage Nation and the BIA. Get well and forget about it. In the end it'll be throwing money your kids and grand kids can put to more effective, productive and important use.

      Delete
    11. Right going "Pro Bono".

      Delete
  42. May I ask what is the ONO agenda?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Osage Nation Organization (ONO) comprised of members with 1/4th or more Osage blood quantum.

      https://books.google.com/books?id=yzVCWqFTjKAC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=Osage+Nation+Organization+(ONO)&source=bl&ots=uzOsSSRze7&sig=4jcHgpAEA_3fB5zRV26Iwvr0ql4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPjf6d4LnNAhWixYMKHXCMBfAQ6AEINTAD#v=onepage&q=Osage%20Nation%20Organization%20(ONO)&f=false

      Delete
  43. This thread is now closed. Go to: http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/osage-shareholder-matters-june-2016.html

    ReplyDelete